TAMIU Professor Presents Research in Japan; Climbs Mt. Fuji
Educating hunters as part of managing endangered wildlife was the topic of two presentations by Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) interim vice president for Institutional Assessment, Evaluation and Planning Dr. David E. Allen at the 28th Annual Conference of the Japanese Society for Environmental Education in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, in September.
During the English portion of the Conference, Dr. Allen, lead author, presented “Hunter Education as a Function of Education for Sustainable Development” with Kantaro Tabiraki, doctoral student, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
Allen also presented during the Japanese part of the Conference with Tabiraki, lead author and presenter of “A Study on the Role of EE/ESD for Ethical Hunter in Wildlife Management Focusing on the Reintroduction of Oriental White Storks.”
According to Allen, the white stork was reintroduced in 2005 to Japan after it became extinct there. The accidental shooting of a protected white stork prompted the need for increased hunter education.
It’s not only the shooting of a protected stork. With the number of Japanese residents holding a hunting license decreasing and the dramatic increase in wildlife damage to Japanese agriculture, proper hunter education programs will encourage a balance in the ecosystem.
“This was my fourth visit to Japan and my second time to present at this Conference,” said Allen.
“I have been very interested in the Japanese culture for several years and with the now available time, my friend and colleague Tabiraki-san invited me to climb Fuji-san (Mt. Fuji) the Japanese way. We arrived at the top of Fuji-san about 4:30 a.m. and watched the sunrise at 5:20 a.m. After the sun was up, we hiked around the crater and visited the actual summit which is the highest place in Japan at 3776 meters (12,389 feet) and then began our descent,” Allen added.
For more information, contact Allen at david.allen@tamiu.edu or 326.3148 or visit offices in Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 328.
University office hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.
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TAMIU interim vice president for Institutional Assessment, Evaluation and Planning Dr. David E. Allen, right, and Kantaro Tabiraki, doctoral student, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, recently presented at the 28th Annual Conference of the Japanese Society for Environmental Education in Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan.
Dr. Allen climbed Mt. Fuji and saw the sunrise.